Mahindra XUV500 niggles & solutions

This is a discussion on Mahindra XUV500 niggles & solutions within Technical Stuff, part of the Under the Hood category; I was contemplating a XUV 500 as well and was looking forward for the bookings to open. I guess it ...

I was contemplating a XUV 500 as well and was looking forward for the bookings to open. I guess it is better to wait for a while about 6-8 months and then go for it. Why is it with Indian manufacturers that all their products have such niggles? is it QC or design errors?

I was contemplating a XUV 500 as well and was looking forward for the bookings to open. I guess it is better to wait for a while about 6-8 months and then go for it. Why is it with Indian manufacturers that all their products have such niggles? is it QC or design errors?

From my experience, except the brakes, I don't see any design issues. It's all just quality issues & some expected niggles with a brand new platform/vehicle. Your decision to wait 6-8 months is a wise one.

For the lights, a local shop guy gave a suggestion which he had done to a W8 before. The bulbs which are provided are of 55W and we can replace them with Philips 75W. For this all u need to do is remove the old bulbs and replace them with new ones. There is no need to cut or alter any wiring. I was considering doing the same, what do u guys feel if its worth going for it?

I would suggest going for HIDs with low beams. You've got projectors, make the best use of it. It may require ballasts for HIDs here (someone whos already done this can confirm) but it may be worth adding that. Low power consumption with better illumination if set correctly.
The high power, 75w may also need some wiring kit in order to make sure it doesnt damage your existing kit and also need to check if the lamp assembly can take that much heat/power over long term usage.

I have been using my XUV500 W6 for almost 4 months now. While I am overall quite happy with the car, there are quite a few problems / deficiencies:

1. Brakes noise and vibration: The brakes makes loud grinding noise, particularly noticeable below 40kmph, and really loud around 15kmph. Sireesh auto replaced the brake pads and rotor once, and the problem disappeared, only to reappear after dring hardly 100km. They say a lot of XUV's are reporting this problem (estimates are between 60% to 90% of vehicles), but no solution has been found yet! They are not even ready to commit to a timeline to solve the problem!
2. Right from the start, I feel some shuddering in the engine in 2 gear, while accelerating through 1500 rpm, till about 1800 rpm. Occasionally, around this rpm, the engine did a strange behaviour, the torque output became totally jerky - accelerating for half a second, decelerating for another half a second, and it continued to happen until the rpm went over 2000. Anyone else has experienced this? I reported it during the first service, but neither the servicing guys, nor I could reproduce it in the test drive. So nothing could be done.
3. The suspension feels very nice for highway rides, but in Bangalore city roads, the small tunnels that people dig for water pipes and leave unfilled give a "more than expected" shock.
4. The lid of the central utility box on top of the dashboard makes a lot of noise, especially loud if I accelerate fast. It has also been out of alignment from the start. I reported this to Sireesh auto, but they don't seem to have a replacement part ready. Waiting for one!
5. The last row power outlet does not work and when I asked the servicing guys to check (during the first service), they did not even have any tool to check it, they were seraching other cars for a cigarette lighter. Finally they found one and checked and it was really not working. The fuse was found OK. Since it was already late in the evening, we decided to check it some other time.
6. The auto headlamp feature is good if you pass a tunnel / underpass during day time, but it does have a very high threshold. It turns on the lights too early, even when it is not yet dark.
7. The auto rain-sensing wiper sometimes really over-reacts, wiping too fast even when the rain is very less. I am not using it now, I fear it will scratch the windshield by excessive wiping.

Of all these topics, I can live with all others, but the braking noise it really bothering me. I hope Mahindra solves it soon. Worse part is, Sireesh auto refused to even replace any of the brake parts recently even to give me some temporary relief, saying "We don't want to do that because it will anyway not solve the problem for good!"

All said and done, I will still stand by my decision to buy this car. For the price, it is still a good package. If the brakes issue is solved, I would be happy with it.

I was contemplating a XUV 500 as well and was looking forward for the bookings to open. I guess it is better to wait for a while about 6-8 months and then go for it. Why is it with Indian manufacturers that all their products have such niggles? is it QC or design errors?

I would say except the brakes problem, others are minor QC issues. The brakes problem does seem like a design issue. I would recommend that you wait until the brakes problem is solved, and then go for it.

I have been through all the posts and threads concerning the XUV 500 and found all the problems highlighted, especially in the thread ' XUV 500 niggles and their solutions'. I am creating this thread solely about the Brake problems, especially as it pertains to the front wheels, since I am now convinced that this is a serious problem and needs to be addressed somehow. My XUV has had, and is having, its fair share of 'Niggles', but I consider this to be a serious problem that may have a serious repercussion, hence the need to highlight the same.

There have been umpteen mentions of the fact that a lot of the owners of the XUV hear breaking noise during the operation of the brakes. On my XUV this has been a problem from the word go! I had realised the fact that there was a vibration that I could hear and clearly feel through the Brake pedal at most braking opportunities especially, after the car had done a few kilometers and mostly at a speed of between 40 to 60 Kms. The best way to describe the same is that there appeared to be a Grinding of the Brake Pad on the Brake disc, whenever the brake was applied. There is a loud Grinding noise and also the brake does not function either smoothly or efficiently, which I find dangerous. Sometime the braking sound reminds me of Trucks and Buses braking, which is disconcerting, to say the least.

I had raised the issue repeatedly with the Dealers and some Mahindra Technical staff and the result was that they Brake Pads were changed twice in my 4 month old vehicle. Constant interaction with the RMs and Technical people has convinced me, though, that no one really seems to know what really is the solution to the problem.

I have been looking for physical corroboration of the problem and have discovered the same sometime ago. There is now visual proof that everything is not fine, where the braking is concerned, with the front wheels of the XUV. The fact that there is an undue grinding of the Brake Pad is visually evident since Black Powder is resulting from it and coating the front alloys.

I have been keeping an eye on the Front and Rear Wheels and have been cleaning the same at particular intervals to bring them to a state of sameness, but have realised that after the car has run about 300 odd kilometers there is a definite colour difference between the Front and the Rear Alloys. The difference in colour is due to the fact that, apart from the usual dirt and dust deposit, the front Alloys are covered with a black powder which is resulting from the grinding of the Brake Pad against the Brake Disc. The powder is the surface of the Brake Pad which gets ground off and released from the upper layer of the Pad, whenever the brake is applied.

I am posting below a set of photographs taken of my XUV today which highlight this problem.

I have been told that a some new parts are available, namely a new type of Brake Disc and a different kind of Brake Pad, and that both of these will be changed on my vehicle. Having stated the fact that both the parts will indeed be changed, I have also been warned privately that this may not be a final solution since the problem may still exist, even after the replacement is done.

Apparently there is a lot of R & D going on to solve the problem. I really do not know if there will be a recall of vehicles after the final solution is found. I do hope so!

My reason for posting is also that, I hope that a certain amount of judiciousness is applied by XUV Owners when it comes to Brake situations, since I believe that due to this problem the brakes may not be functioning at a 100% level as they are expected to for this kind of vehicle.

I WOULD WELCOME A FINAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM, IF SOMEONE IS AWARE OF THE SAME!

The photographs below are sequential and reveal the problem visually. I do not know how to individually label each one so I am describing the photos below in order of appearance.

The best way to describe the same is that there appeared to be a Grinding of the Brake Pad on the Brake disc, whenever the brake was applied.

I am not an expert in this, nor know the issue everyones facing in their XUV's. But I had a similar problem in my merc where a sort of knocking sound used to come when brakes were applied. When I took it to the Workshop it turned out to be a stone stuck between the disc and pad. Have you got them checked thoroughly?

However, the brake dust especially on the front alloys is a common phenomenon. The front wheel brakes contribute to most (70%) of the deceleration, hence the difference in the brake discs used. I had a Corolla and it had the same problem, but the amount of black dust from the brake discs and pads seem to be compounded many times in your case, probably due to the size and weight of the vehicle.

This is pretty normal. I used to have this in my previous car the optra magnum and its there in my XUV also. The brake dust is more when you install new brake pads and since you have changed the brake pads twice in such a short period you are getting excessive amount of brake dust.
About the grinding noise its there in my XUV also but brakes work fine so far.

Wow.... Took me over half an hour to catch up on the thread!
To update my experience with the XUV W8 (> 8000 kms done) :
Existing issue that continue to haunt :
- Brake grinding noise
- Whilst hard Braking , a pulsating feeling from the brake pedal
- Front seat squeaking noise
- Brake disc rusting
- Steering misalignment by 10 degrees
- Minor rattles from the doors
- Vibrations from the engine creeping inside the cabin under fast acceleration
- Outside air creeps in despite internal circulation mode
New Issues :
- Front Drive side door not closing smoothly (seems like an adjustment issue)
- Front headlights seem to have lost it initial clarity/intensity
- LHS side rear view mirror making a a loud squeaking noise whilst opening
- Aircon blower appears at will on the infotainment display at will & increases the blower speed
- Rear aircon blower not working since past 3 weeks (the button on the main console is not responding)
- Ipod sometimes does not get detected
- While reversing , i get a 'khat khat' sound from the front wheels (not sure if its an axle issue)

Issues resolved by A$$ :
- Gear shift now has smoothed post the gear oil change. Its not as smooth as other cars I have owned (H City, Altis, Zen), but has improved significantly.
- Alarm going off automatically whilst the car is parked.

Overall, I am mostly concerned about the Braking issue & that to me is a deal breaker.
Till the time M&M does not effectively resolve the braking issue....I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone.

Eagerly looking forward to my First Road trip to Leh/Ladhak in the XUV in the last week of June & hope to test the ability of the vehicle there.
regards
Sid

Mod team note: Back to back posts, please use Multi Quote (Quote+) instead. Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidwadia

Wow.... Took me over half an hour to catch up on the thread!
==============
Eagerly looking forward to my First Road trip to Leh/Ladhak in the XUV in the last week of June & hope to test the ability of the vehicle there.
regards
Sid

Hi,

I also have felt a lot of the things you mentioned. Brakes issue seems to be very common now anyway. The other issues I had not mentioned earlier in my post, but now feel like mentioning since you have brought them up:

1. Two times, the vehicle refused to start (apparently some problem with immobiliser). I had to take the key completely out and re-insert and try again. Then it worked. But this happened only two times in 4 months of ownership (about 6000 km)
2. So many people are talking about getting outside smell even in re-circulation mode. I have also experienced it, but I somehow ignored it so far. But it seems like a design issue as awell.
3. The infotaionment and HVAC seems to have quite a few issues:
a) CD player gives mechanical error even if you accelerate fast in 2 gear (looks like it is not designed to even withstand the acceleration that the vehicle is capable of of).
b) Once or twice the aircon had done some crazy behaviour like turning on the AC by itself (I only had the fan on since it was pleasant anyway), and change the blower speed for no apparent reason.
c) The remote has very limited range. (hardly 2 to 3 feet).

About the vibration of engine during acceleration: I have always felt a particularly high vibration in 2 gear. In last service, the service personnel also acknowledged that there is some vibration in the 1400 to 1800 rpm range, but expressed inability to do anything to solve it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fundagenie

Sorry if I am off topic considering this is a niggles thread. But considering most of the posters her are owners, I felt it best to post here..
========
But I still want to dream for the sky considering the hard earned money I would be spending.... . Sorry to say, I am totally confused.

Thanks
FundaG

Hi FundaG,

Good questions :-)

Despite quote a few issues, I would still say that overall, I like the car. You see, I bought it keeping my expectations realistic: The price is quite low, and we all know that our Indian OEM's are not yet established players in such cars. To me, it was normal to expect a few issues.

It does give me pleasure, yes.

I still feel that overall it was a wise decision (price being an important part of it). If you don't mind paying 8 lakh more and still having less features, but want a vehicles that has no such issues, you should not buy this, go for fortuner. But if 14 lakh is already the max budget you can think of, and you want a vehicle with this kind of look and features, then you don't have much choice.

My recommendation to you would be to wait until the brakes issue is sorted out. This is the only thing that makes me "really-unhappy" at this point. I am ready to live with most other issues.

Last edited by Jaggu : 4th June 2012 at 10:13.
Reason: Back to back posts, please use Multi Quote (Quote+) instead. Thanks

Pls keep us posted if a solution is found for this issue. My RM(Sireesh Bangalore) says that NO OTHER XUV owner has this issue from Bangalore. While I find it hard to believe, I don't have anyone else endorsing my problem.

Imagine this.. You are in a bumper to bumper traffic & the aircon picks up the CO2 from the vehicles around you. You think you are in recycle mode, while all along you were breathing seriously polluted air. Other option is to open the windows - which doesn't solve the problem anyways. I feel bad every time I get stuck in the traffic & every time I pass a landfill/drain around Bangalore. Besides, in this hot summer, outside air coming inside means that the AC wont be effective at all..

Brakes.. I continue to live with the issue. Since you mentioned about your upcoming trip... I just finished a trip my place near Ooty - Went via the Kalhatty road from Mysore side - The ghat section is very steep.. Descended from Ooty via the silent valley area (Mulli.. etc.. Another seriously steep road..) XUV worked just fine - except for the prominent grinding noise in every single hair pin bend..

Brakes.. I continue to live with the issue. Since you mentioned about your upcoming trip... I just finished a trip my place near Ooty - Went via the Kalhatty road from Mysore side - The ghat section is very steep.. Descended from Ooty via the silent valley area (Mulli.. etc.. Another seriously steep road..) XUV worked just fine - except for the prominent grinding noise in every single hair pin bend..

What do you mean by 'prominent grinding noise! Is it the break grinding noise you are talking about or the engine sound while taking a hairpin band?

I'm sure you are not breaking at each hairpin band, you may be maintaining 2nd or 3rd gear (depending on the torque available and kind of slope) while taking the hairpin band, do you get this noise from the engine!! My PalioD does it happily at 2nd (most of the places and 3rd at some) gear except the last long incline that may sometime require switching to 1st for optimal driving. Though this is heavier vehicle, @330nm I expect a lot more. is it wrong expecting that much power from this vehicle!